Tiger Woods, Buick Spokesman No More

G.M. announced today that it was ending its nine-year relationship with Tiger Woods, who’s been the company’s most prominent (in fact, now that I think about it, maybe its only prominent) spokesman. The company said the move was, in part, the result of its need to spend less money during the current downturn. That’s not surprising, but it’s also questionable, unless G.M. is planning to axe Buick entirely (as many have recommended it should). Cutting ad spending during recessions is Business 101, but it’s a recipe for market-share losses, particularly for already-shaky players.

The more interesting question is whether it was actually Tiger’s decision to leave. G.M. did say the move was driven in part by Tiger’s desire for “more personal time,” since he’s about to have his second kid. One wonders if it was also driven by Tiger’s desire not to be affiliated with a sinking ship.

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